So I have attempted to snipe two items (my first two attempts). The first one I put in a maximum of £150. The item sold for £150. There was said to be an earlier bid. Now £150 is a pretty round number, so an earlier proxy bid of £150 is not too surprising. My bad. The second item I bid on I put in a maximum of £203. And, you've guessed it, the item sold for £203. Now I reckon the chances of another maximum of exactly £203 are pretty slim. After all, if someone knew (as I now do) to put in a strange figure to avoid ties, why not £203.57 (or whatever)? So pretty unlikely in just that one auction. But to have this happen in both the auctions I have tried to snipe seems to me to be more than just coincidence. Any ideas?
If I were in your shoes, I’d probably be very skeptical. I might even work myself into a conspiracy theory, although I can’t think of one. But, at least you haven’t gone down that path. As unlikely as this is, IT IS JUST A COINCIDENCE. One possible suggestion, try making your bid a little more unround, such as your example of £203.57.
Well it wasn't helped by the fact that the first item was then immediately relisted as a buy-it-now "second chance" thing at the bid which it had sold for (i.e. my maximum). Which I confess did rather raise me conspiracy heckles...
I agree. Adding the “second chance” would definitely get me to thinking. I still can come up with a decent, even indecent, conspiracy. Any help would be appreciated.
To paraphrase the hacked saying about hindsight and not needing glasses, a bid of £203.01 or £150.01 would have won the auction. But considering the “second chance” issue, perhaps it’s best you didn’t win, in case there IS an actual conspiracy.
So, are you going to take the “second chance” offer? There is the possibility that the seller actually had two of the same item, but I think a conspiracy is more entertaining.
I sent the second chance guy an email saying nothing but "nice try". He immediately expressed great outrage (rather than confusion which you might expect had he been 100% genuine). And then he sent a further email claiming that another bidder had pulled out after 2 days. Which would have been all very well except that there was less than 1 day between the end of the auction and the relisting. So no there weren't two items the same, and no I didn't take up the second chance offer purely on principle.
I admit I just assumed that the seller in the first instance had just put a very high maximum proxy in either himself or through some shill buddy of his in order to find out the maximum the market would withstand. But of course if that had been the case then I should have been outbid, rather than lost to the same bid. All very strange.
(rather than confusion which you might expect had he been 100% genuine)
Sounds like he was up to no good. Confusion would have been a much better way for him to go, but confusion is much harder to fake. That still leaves the other auction. Conspiracy? No conspiracy? Bad luck? Karma?
Is there any way a pre-existing proxy bid which is higher than a snipe can/will win at the same amount as the snipe? That would explain both instances (it may still show shilling in the first instance, but may be merely a high proxy bid in the second instance). That would not require a conspiracy, but it would explain a rather unlikely set of circumstances...
Is there any way a pre-existing proxy bid which is higher than a snipe can/will win at the same amount as the snipe?
No. They would both have to be the same amount. If the current proxy bid had been £150.01 and your snipe was £150, the auction would have closed at £150.01.
I am confused. BUY IT NOW and SECOND CHANCE are two different things. Usually a second chance offer is extended by e-mail and is offered at the exact same price of your last bid. While it can be offered when a buyer pulls out, it is more frequently offered when the seller has another one of the exact same item. This is in accordance with eBay's guidelines, and I have purchased many items this way. The reasoning behind the price is that the bidder had been willing to pay that amount, so that is the amounf offered. Works for me.
